Scart to hdmi converter

jc001

I have an old pioneer dvd hard disc recorder with two scart connections . I want to connect it to a Panasonic TV which has one Av1 scart connection and 3 hdmi ports and a virgin media box which has a hdmi connection but no scart connection other than a circular one which I believe is not enabled. I connected a scart from dvr to av1 connection on tv and got sound only. As hdmi gives both picture and sound I suppose I need a scart to hdmi converter to view my recordings on the dvd recorder. Is there any way of recording from TV to the dvd recorder or can I only use it as a dvd player? Will I still be able to copy recordings to disc?

coylemj

It's not clear from what you're telling us if that setup ever worked - have you ever been able to view a picture on that TV coming from the DVR?

If you're not getting a picture with a direct SCART cable connection, putting a SCART to HDMI converter into the loop won't help.

Have you tried both SCART ports on the DVR? One may be input only i.e. for recording and the other output only for playback.

Are you using a fully wired SCART cable? For VCRs, you only needed a subset of the connectors wired so cheaper cables were available which were not wired for RGB. If you have the TV manual, check if that AV1 SCART port can take RGB signals.

jc001

I'm moving back home. So the tv and modem set up is different to the older set up I have, where a scart is connected from dvr to Virgin Media box and from the box to the tv ( is that right?)

So I suppose I won't be able to record on the DVR hard disc any more. But I'll settle for watching my recordings , if that's possible.

There is only one scart port on the TV. I connected a scart from the tv to each dvr scart connection in turn and got sound only on the dvr. I didn't get a picture.

The tv has three component and two audio in and two audio out ports, an av1 scart connection and 3 hdmi ports

The set top box has no scart connection , but it has hdmi ports.

Can 3 component leads and two audio out leads be connected from the tv to the dvr to give picture and sound?

Alternatively can a scart to hdmi converter solve the problem?

I'm a bit rusty regarding this, so I hope I'm explaining the situation correctly

coylemj

I'm moving back home. So the tv and modem set up is different to the older set up I have, where a scart is connected from dvr to Virgin Media box and from the box to the tv ( is that right?)

Leave the VM (set top box) out of it for the moment. That connection would serve for recording VM programs on the DVR. Which would serve no purpose until you have sorted out playback.

Can 3 component leads and two audio out leads be connected from the tv to the dvr to give picture and sound?

Yes, if there are corresponding component ports on the DVR.

jc001

Thanks for your help. I'll have a go in a few days and hopefully it'll work out.

jc001

I got a scart to hdmi splitter through Amazon but it didn't work. I also got a scart to 3 cable splitter -1 cable for video and two for audio(left and right). This hasn't worked. I've tried connecting them every which way, to no avail. I meant to get a splitter which would be scart on one end and three component cables (Pr, Pb and Y) which according to a You Tube video seems to be the way around it, so I'll send away for one of those.

jc001

Just to recap. I originally got sound only by connecting a scart from dvr to tv. Then for a brief moment I got both picture and sound. I cant explain how this happened. But recently I can't get either. With the scart to hdmi splitter I got a blue screen with a "No Signal " message flashing and "AV PAL" in top right hand corner intermittently. The AV 1 scart port on Panasonic Viera tv says RGB and Video. There are audio in, audio out and component connections on TV . On the DVR there are 2 scart connections- AV 1 (RGB) TV and AV2 (INPUT/DECODER). There are Output and Input connections for audio, video and S-video. There are 3 component connections for video out. So the connections seem to correspond between dvr and tv, expect for the tv having only one scart.

coylemj

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121571275#Comment_121571275

There's all sorts of junk for sale on the web claiming to be an adapter or splitter which will allow you to connect a SCART source to the HDMI input on your TV. Anything that is not an actual converter (which must involve a DC power source) will not work because SCART is analog while HDMI is digital.

I meant to get a splitter which would be scart on one end and three component cables (Pr, Pb and Y) which according to a You Tube video seems to be the way around it, so I'll send away for one of those.

You're falling into the same trap again. SCART RGB is not the same as component video signals - a 'splitter' won't cut it. For that, you'd need a converter. Google 'RGB2COMP'.

If I was you, I would concentrate on the SCART connection from the DVR to the TV. You should be able to make that work with a fully-wired SCART cable. If you can't get that to work, you may throw your hat at it because you're not going to fix the problem buying crap off the web.

ongarite

Try this converter:

https://www.powercity.ie/product/336425

jc001

Thanks. I'll try and get a RGB2COMP. What do you mean by a "fully-wired" scart - the scart leads I have are 18 (?) pin. The scart lead from DVD to tv hasn't worked since . I have tried a few, in case some were defective . I'll keep trying.

jc001

I got something similar with a scart lead on one end attached to the converter and a hdmi lead on the other end. It has a USB cable which I attached to the USB connection on the Virgin Media box. It hasnt worked yet. Why would this be any different (unless I got the wrong one)?

coylemj

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121572058#Comment_121572058

A VCR sent a composite video signal (not RGB) to a TV so you could buy a cheaper 'video cable' which did not have the RGB pins connected. Those that had all of the pins connected were 'fully wired'. You could often tell a video cable because several pins were missing but even if a SCART plug had all of the pins, it didn't mean that all of them are wired.

It's possible that your DVR is outputting RGB but the TV is expecting a video (composite) signal and that's why you're getting sound but no picture. Though you'd expect the TV to use whichever signal is incoming.

Take a look at the SCART plugs and make sure that none of the pins are bent.

jc001

So... with the old virgin media box a scart cable attached from dvr to tv and dvr to the box. So that set up has to be replaced with an alternative . The alternatives I have tried haven't worked. Maybe I was imagining that I got picture and sound before,however briefly. My last option is connecting three component and two audio cables from dvr to tv, or an RGB2COMP. I'll have to buy those and try them out.

jc001

Update. Having found an old cable with white red and yellow cables on each end I connected this from dvr to tv to no avail. I also connected a scart from dvr to tv but I didn't get anything. However, I have just now connected the same scart and I have got picture and sound, albeit black and white, same as before. This may suggest a faulty scart - or do I need a fully wired scart which will give me colour( red green and blue)? Or is it that TV's Av 1 port does not receive rgb from the DVR. In my apartment I have the old virgin media box with 2 scart ports and a Panasonic TV with similar and there is no issue with colour from the dvr. I'm pretty sure the scart leads are the same except for the lead from box to dvr which has a band between each scart end rather than a cable.This suggests the TV here doesnt get colour from the DVR. I haven't been able to sort a RGB to RGB cable online as yet to sort out that issue .

coylemj

If there is only one SCART port on the TV, it almost certainly will be able to take RGB. From a fully wired SCART cable.

I just looked at the spec. sheet for a 19" Philips TV I bought in 2008. It had 1 x VGA, 1 x HDMI, 1 x component, 1 x composite and 1 x SCART which could accept RGB.

You told us you connected a three-way cable from the DVR to the TV 'to no avail'. If they were component ports, that is the solution to go for and not SCART. Could you either take a photo of the connectors on the back of the DVR or describe what is printed on the three ports you connected using the three-way cable.

Component involves three cables for the picture and two for the sound. The audio ports are almost always labelled L and R for left and right and colored red and white. The video ports are usually labelled Pr Pb and Y.

jc001

PANASONICVIERATV.jpg

PioneerDVR 530H.jpg

VirginMediaBox.jpg

Yes I think I need to get a fully wired scart, wired for rgb. Please see photos of tv, dvr and box above. I connected a red white and yellow cable but I think that was just video .

coylemj

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121625125#Comment_121625125

No, forget SCART. You have component sockets on the TV and the DVR. They will give you better picture quality than SCART.

You need a three-way cable for component video and a two-way cable for left and right audio. Connect the three video cables to the 'component video out' sockets over on the righthand side of the DVR, they're arranged in a triangle beside the co-ax sockets. Connect the other ends to the three vertical sockets labelled 'component' on the TV. Then connect the two audio cables to the L and R (ordered R and L as you look at the back of the unit) sockets in the group under the righthand SCART socket on the DVR, they're in a group with a (composite) video and an S-Video socket in a box labelled 'output'. Connect the other ends of that pair of cables to the 'audio in' sockets on the TV.

Unlike a SCART signal (which can tell the TV to switch to it's input), a component signal will not automatically switch the TV over (e.g. from HDMI input or the aerial) so you will need to use the TV remote to manually switch the input to 'component'.

coylemj

To reinforce what I said at the beginnig of the previous post, here is a page from an old Philips TV manual which shows the relative hierarchy of connections by picture quality. As your DVR has no HDMI ports, the best you can hope to achieve in terms of picture quality (PQ) is to feed a component signal from the DVR to the TV. On the next page of the manual (which you can't see) is a 'composite' connection they describe as 'basic quality' with a one star rating. Your TV has no composite video input port.

Ignore references to EXT1/2/3, they refer to ports on the TV from which this screenshot is a page in the user's guide.

video-quality - Copy.jpg

jc001

I have ordered a 5 way video and audio cable from Amazon which should arrive Saturday.

In the meantime the DVR's hard drive failed and I had to reinitialise it thereby losing all the recordings. I brought the DVR (DVR 1) back to my apartment, where I have a similar Panasonic TV and another DVR (DVR 2) and an older Virgin Media box, which has a scart connection.

I connected DVR 1 to the tv and box and the picture was initially red-saturated and then black and white.

The picture I get when connecting DVR 2 is normal.

If I were to record programmes on DVR 1, with a scart connection, would they play back in colour when I connect video and audio composite cables, or would they be in black and white? I would think the former would be the case.

I also have a third DVR (DVR 3) which is not powering up. I swapped the plug from DVR 1, but it didn't power on. So I'll have to get that fixed.

The reason I have 3 dvrs is that when the hard drive was nearly full, transferring recordings to dvd-r didn't always work, so I decided to get another one, etc...

coylemj

I have ordered a 5 way video and audio cable from Amazon which should arrive Saturday.

I hope you're not paying crazy money for fancy (e.g. gold-plated) cables. They sell them in most electrical shops, you'll find them on the accessories rack. For a 3-way plus a 2-way, you shouldn't be paying more than total €20.

The L+R audio cable is available in Harvey Norman for €4.95 .....

https://www.harveynorman.ie/tvs-headphones/tv-and-audio-accessories/tv-cables/g-and-bl-audio-cable-2rca-1m.html

I'd be surprised if they don't also have the component cable in the stores. If you can't find the component cable, there's nothing to stop you buying two more audio cables and using three of the cables for the component signal. The cable colours don't matter, just make sure to connect Pb to Pb and so on.

The same 1.5m audio cable is priced at €14.99 in Currys so avoid them.

If the Amazon order is for more than €20 incl. shippping and they haven't yet shipped, I'd cancel the order.

jc001

It's been dispatched. It was €15.50.

I'll try Harvey Norman's. Thanks for the suggestion.

In the meantime I intend to record onto DVR 1 using scart cables and I don't know if when the composite cables are connected, the recordings will play back in black and white or colour. Any idea?

If you don't know that's fine. I'll Google it.

coylemj

The recordings should play in colour. A family member has an ancient DVD (not DVR) player which doesn't have HDMI so I connected it to her TV using composite (3+2) and the picture and sound are perfect.

The symbols above the SCART (AV1) port on your TV suggest that that port is input only.

On the TV, look at the symbol above the 'audio out' ports (just above the white 'L' socket) and compare it to the symbol above the 'audio in' ports. The symbols beside 'RGB' and 'Video' above the AV1 (SCART) port match the symbol above the 'audio in' ports and indicate input only. The same symbol appears above the composite ports, indicating that they are input only.

The symbol above the AV1 port says that that SCART port will not send a signal to the DVR player.

jc001

Thanks for that. I was concerned that colour transmission was affected because of internal damage to DVR 1.

A few minutes ago I turned off tv and dvr 1 and switched around the scarts. I got a good picture on AV1. But as soon as I switched on the DVR the picture reverted to black and white. So the transmission of colour by DVR 1 has been affected, at least through the scart connection.

But as you say, once the component cables have been connected , the picture should be fine. Thanks for all your help. Much appreciated.

coylemj

It's been dispatched. It was €15.50.

I'll try Harvey Norman's. Thanks for the suggestion.

I was only suggesting you buy the cables in the likes of Harvey Norman if you cancelled the Amazon order because their cables were too expensive. Why would you now go to HN if the cables are on the way from Amazon?

jc001

I must have missed that bit in your post about the audio in and out ports on the TV on first reading.

So I won't be able to record from the tv, if there' s nothing to replicate the scart connection from the box to the dvr as there with the older box.

As for the cables, as I have two working recorders, I might connect them to two separate tvs rather than one, so it's no harm to have another set of cables. Unless I use one tv and alternate between connecting to one dvr or the other

jc001

OK. So I connected the 5 component cables from DVR to the Panasonic tv and it works. I also connected some old cables I had to another tv(a Sony Bravia) and it works.

The hard drive failed on DVR 2. I had to reinitialize the drive and by so doing ,the recordings were deleted. I brought it to my apartment where the old VM box is and recorded recordings on the box on the dvr. However, the hard disc failed again after a few days of recording. I reinitialised the dvr and recorded something but the hard disc failed again. I dont know if it is worth trying to get it fixed if that is possible.

Anyway, the next thing is to see if I can record off the tv or new VM box onto DVR 1. From what I gather from your recent post is that may not be possible with the Panasonic tv.

With the old set-top box, a scart lead was connected from the AV2(input 1)/decoder port on the dvr directly to a scart port on the box.

But now that the new box does not have scart ports, can a scart to hdmi convertor be attached from the dvr AV2/decoder port to the box?

Or do I just have to be content with viewing the recordings and/or transferring them to dvd in case the hard drive fails on this dvr.

coylemj

But now that the new box does not have scart ports, can a scart to hdmi convertor be attached from the dvr AV2/decoder port to the box?

It's possible that most SCART to HDMI converters out there will only convert as the title describes it - a SCART signal converted to HDMI. The intention being to convert a signal coming from the SCART output port on an older box (VCR/DVR) to a HDMI port on a modern TV which doesn't have a SCART port.

You require the opposite conversion, you want to convert a HDMI signal (from the VM box) to SCART to record the progam on the DVR. So you need to check the specs. carefully. Such a box may not exist or may be way off your budget. I'd steer clear of eBay for this one.